Jack M. Wilson, Ph.D.,

President Emeritus The University of Massachusetts and

   Distinguished Professor of Higher Education, Emerging Technologies, and Innovation
   The University of Massachusetts Lowell
                                                                               
       email id: jwilson address: umassp . edu                                  

Dr. Jack Wilson served as the 25th President of the University of Massachusetts system, from September 2, 2003 to June 30, 2011 and is now President Emeritus and University Distinguished Professor of Higher Education, Emerging Technologies, and Innovation. <story> He will work on projects throughout the University, but his home campus will be UMass Lowell.   He is also working on several projects in Science Education at UMass Boston.   He serves on the board of the UMass Memorial Medical Center.  He is the Chair of the Department of Education's FIPSE Advisory Board and also Chair of the New England Defense Technology Initiative.

Dr. Wilson served as the President (interim) of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate from July 1, 2011 to January 1, 2012.  Prior to that he served on the Board of the EMK Institute

He is a former Professor of Physics, Department Chair, Research Center Director, Dean, Vice President, Provost, and a private sector entrepreneur who founded the ILinc Corporation.  He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and has received many awards for his work in technology in education, higher education policy, and technology driven economic development.  

Upcoming Presentations: The LearnLinc Story        Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center
 Research Universities and Economic Development-A National Perspective

• President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of
     Higher Education, Emerging Technologies, and Innovation 2011-

• President (interim) Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate  2011-2012

• President, Univ. of Massachusetts  2003-2011

• Founding Chair of the Mass Green High Performance Computing Center  2009-2011.

• CEO, UMassOnline and Vice President, Univ. of Massachusetts  2001-2003

• 2003 J Erik Jonsson Distinguished Professor of Physics, Engineering Science, Information Technology and Management as well as other titles (Professor, Dean, interim Provost, Research Center Director, etc.) at
  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute  1990-2001.

• Chairman of the Board of the ILINC Corporation 1993-2000.  President 1993-95, One of three founders.
              Eventually a $500 million software company.

• Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Physics Teachers  1982-1990

• Professor of Physics, University of Maryland 1984-1990

While he is most proud of the achievements that the University has made in teaching, research, and service -setting records in enrollment, student quality, applications, financial aid, endowment, research volume, and commercialization of intellectual property from research - he is particularly proud that he was able to launch a number of new initiatives at the University during his eight year term including:

• The University of Massachusetts School of Law at Dartmouth- The first public law school in Massachusetts history.

• The University of Massachusetts Club with over 1000 members at 225 Franklin St, Boston-UMassClub

• The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC)
  -a joint venture with MIT, Harvard, Boston University, Northeastern, EMC, and CISCO.

• The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Study of the Senate (EMKInst)

• The President's Science and Technology Fund (PS&T)
  -that generated a 30 to 1 ROI in the first year and has continued to grow research to over $536 million in 2010.

• Three NSF Engineering Research Centers (ERC) and an NSF Math Science Partnership (MSP)

• The President's Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property (CVIP) Technologies Fund
  - stimulating commercialization of University Research and moving us into the top ten in 2009.

• The President's Creative Economy Fund (CEF)

• Conducted a $1.6 Billion Capital Building Program and planned $2.9 B more.
  -includes several new dorms, an award winning co-generation power plant, new research buildings and new classroom buildings.

During Dr. Wilson's term, the University has grown in many ways.  

• we obtained four of the major National Science Foundation ERC or MSP programs (our first),

• fee increases have been held to under the cost of living in every year except one,

• the University has made great strides in hiring new faculty members. 

• in 2006, Craig Mello, a Professor at the UMass Medical School won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, and thereby demonstrated just how outstanding the faculty and research are at the University. 

• Extensive global programs have been launched with China, Germany, South Africa, India, Portuguese speaking countries, and many others.

• the University contributed over $4.8 billion to the Massachusetts economy in Fiscal Year 2010 <UMass><BostonBusJrnl>

• provided a return on investment of more than $11 for every $1 in state money that UMass received

   

  On March 1, 2009, Dr. Wilson announced that he intended to conclude his Presidency on June 30, 2011.  By giving nearly a year and a half notice to the University, he felt that there would be sufficient time to do a national search for his successor.  <Press Announcement>  ,<Boston Globe>, <Mass High Tech Journal>

   

  Dr. Wilson took office following two years of serious state budget cuts that had reduced the state appropriation by approximately $150 million, and at a time when the relationships to the Governor and Legislature were in need of attention.  In the face of these serious challenges, the University embarked upon a program to close the budget gap, rebuild our finances, increase financial aid to students, grow research, build endowment,  increase our support from the business community, and enhance our global opportunities for students and faculty.  In order to emphasize the critical role that the University plays in the Commonwealth, he would often assert that:

  "The path to economic and social development in Massachusetts goes through the University of Massachusetts."

   

  The economic and social development of the Commonwealth indeed does depend upon the University's teaching, research, and service.  With over 60,000 student on five campuses, 45,000 enrollments in UMassOnline, and over 13,000 students graduated into the workforce each year, the University of Massachusetts provides the large scale opportunity for students and employers.  These students change the world in countless ways.  With over $536 million in annual research expenditures, we are right behind MIT and Harvard in external funding for research.  Our $72 million in revenue from our research commercialization (FY2009) means that we continue to rank either 1st or 2nd in Massachusetts to MIT with Harvard right behind for the last few years.  Our $2.9 Billion budget in FY2011 is seeded with just under $500 million from the Commonwealth -up from $326 million in mid 2003, but cuts have been proposed for FY2012.

   

  One of Dr. Wilson's first actions was to completely restructure the UMass Building Authority in anticipation of efforts to rebuild the infrastructure of the University.  While we worked hard to increase capital funding from the state, we knew that we would have to do most of this work ourselves.  In the last six years, we have accomplished over $1.6 Billion in capital projects with only about 20% of that coming from the state.    This includes the first dormitories built in Amherst in the last 30 years.  Dorms, power plants, research buildings, classroom buildings, and athletic facilities have all been built in recent years.  At the Board meeting in the fall of 2007, the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees approved a $2.9 Billion capital plan to guide the University over the coming decade.